In the Raiders’ first preseason game, they were shut out by the Cowboys in a terrible offensive display. In their second preseason game the offense was a little better, with Palmer leading two drives that resulted in field goals, but Palmer also threw an interception and ran the first-string offense on three different drives that failed to produce a first down.

Palmer, however, sees reasons to be encouraged.

“I think that’s the main thing that’s encouraging to know is that we’ve made a bunch of mistakes and we’ve still moved the ball, but we’ve been nowhere near where we can be when we’re all clicking and on the same page,” Palmer said. “It’s just a matter of time. We just need to keep working.”

Palmer is definitely right about that last part: The Raiders’ offense has a lot of work to do.

Just a reminder to all you Oakland fans. The worst owner in all of pro sports FLEECED your team on this trade. Palmer is washed up. The best he can do is mentor someone to become a decent QB. Wonder why Hue Jackson works for the Bengals now? lol

rdrs68 says:Aug 22, 2012 7:26 AM

What else can he say? This team is going through major changes and is a long way from where it needs to be and it serves no purpose to state the obvious.

Ugh really? You’ve said that time and time again and in the end up lose all the time. Maybe u shud say, its a concern rather than its not a big deal. Your Interceptions have already started for 2012 so hahaha good luck number 3..I really think Oakland will have problems because they can’t only depend on Mcfadden only; turnover machine Carson doesn’t help at all…Mike Brown even he’s a stubborn headed man, he is the winner from this trade and we can say that he really did rip the Raiders off LOL

tdk24 says:Aug 22, 2012 8:16 AM

Yes, they will be better when DMC plays the whole game , but Palmer still needs to be more accurate with his passes.

I heard his center was concerned about his overzealous approach to placing his hand under his butt for snaps….yowsa!!! (Carson uses what is commonly called the ‘back knuckle rub’ style of hand placement)

villa41 says:Aug 22, 2012 8:47 AM

First, I take issue with the notion that the Raiders had a terrible offensive display in the first game. Palmer was only on the field for a couple series. If the receivers could hold onto the ball in that game, then Palmer’s rating goes way up. In the second game against Arizona the Raiders did, in fact, go up and down the field. The red zone could have been better in that game for sure, but overall through two games the Raiders offense has not been as bad as it’s being portryed here. DMAC has looked great too. The offense will be fine come the opener, and the defense looks like it has greatly improved.

Also, keep in mind teams work on things in these preseason games that they normally wouldn’t in a regular game. If you read the full text of Palmer’s comments from the local press, then that’s clear.

Carson was throwing the ball okay. It’s the receiver drops/injuries that are bothering me. I’d love to bring up the McFadden factor but it’s too hard to expect him to last 16 games

silvernblackpa says:Aug 22, 2012 9:01 AM

I realize Carson can’t run around with his hair on fire screaming “ZOMG WE’RE SCREWED WE SUCK SO BAD” (that’s our job as fans) but a little bit of concern would be nice.

omniusprime says:Aug 22, 2012 9:04 AM

The Raiders have only committed 9 penalties so far in two preseason games, less than half of normal. Now that’s something Raider fans can take heart in. Time for the Raiders to develop winning ways and attitude in preseason, not wait until the regular season.

fuglyflorio says:Aug 22, 2012 9:12 AM

Of course he’s not worried. It’s not like it stops his check from clearing.

They only played 2 series in 1 game they were “shut out” as you say. Its the pre season….who cares. They arent showing anything. They run left run right and a few drop back passes. Everything is vanilla. If you saw the Cards game the their D was blitzing every play. Raiders stayed vanilla not to show much. Im with Carson, not a concern, well see you in the regular season.

It’s why Paul Hackett was fired at USC. Palmer does not trust what he sees in this offense this he’s late with the ball making him look inaccurate and turnover prone. He’s going to have to make a living off his check down WR.

The west coast offense is timing based. The QB drop and release has to be in lock sync with his WR route. You need a game manager to run that offense. Palmer is not a game manager. He thrives in a offense where he uses instinct and throws to a spot on the field. This is why he’s had success under coaches like Ken Zampese and Norm Chow.

That trade we made to for Oaklands draft picks are looking better and better everytime…And we still have a 2nd next year. Best move Mike Brown has made in 20 years… PBS will be rocking in December when he returns…

561bengal says:Aug 22, 2012 9:54 AM

I feel bad for Raider fans. They deserve better than Palmer. Ill be shocked if they win more than 4 games this year.

slightlyhyphy says:Aug 22, 2012 9:55 AM

I think the Raiders had a top 10 offense last season. Given that the offense is relatively unchanged, with the exception of Darren McFadden returning, I think their offense will be just fine.

I’ll always rememeber that in the 2006 pre-season the Raiders went 5-0 and moved the ball great…..then went 2-14 in the regular season. I don’t know why anyone thinks that pre-season at all predicts the regular season.

bigdaddybullwhip says:Aug 22, 2012 10:14 AM

I bet if Al was alive he’d be concerned. It’s going to be concerning when the fans quit on you like you did in Cincy. See you November 25th

This isn’t a story to report on. It’s common knowledge. Palmer is admiting he’s washed out. This will be his last yr in his football career.

bwisnasky says:Aug 22, 2012 10:27 AM

Actually, they moved the ball fairly well against Dallas…. and the pick that ended up on Carson was actually a ball that sailed through Jacoby Ford’s hands…. in fact, Jacoby had a rough game with 4 drops that night, all of which would have been for big yardage. McFadden, who everyone knows is the key to a make or break season for the Raiders, had 38 yards on 3 touches…. They also did move the ball pretty effectively against the Cardinals… and they had 2 drops of touchdowns in the endzone… on the receivers (DHB and Streater) and not on Carson… Carson did miss a wide open McFadden for a sure touchdown, but these things will happen. What everyone is overlooking is how much different the Raiders look on defense, and especially on penalties.. they only had 4 against the Cardinals…. that alone should be more newsworthy…. In fact, at this point last year, the Raiders defense was ranked 32nd in the preseason, this year it’s ranked 5th…. quite an improvement.. .but it helps when you can actually let the defensive co-ordinator run his own scheme, instead of taking your directives from a great man who’s time had passed him by as a coach. Not to mention, for the first time since John Madden having a head coach that understands the importance of the defensive side of the game. If McFadden can stay healthy, and he’s coming up on a contract year next year, so maybe he has a little incentive there, the Raiders offense will be better than most. And if their defense can perform how it has so far, the Raiders will surprise a lot of people and make a serious run at the AFC West title. They have problems at depth, but so do the rest of the teams in the West… whoever stays the healthiest, will be the team that wins it. This is the one division that truly could finish with any of the teams in first, or any of the teams in last…..Remember… last year three teams finished 8-8 and one team finished 7-9 with all four teams finishing 3-3 in the division… I don’t think you could have more parity in a division. People point to the improvement by the other 3 teams in the off season, without counting the improvement that a better defensive scheme will provide a team that came pretty close to winning the division last year.

561bengal says:
Aug 22, 2012 9:54 AM
I feel bad for Raider fans. They deserve better than Palmer. Ill be shocked if they win more than 4 games this year.

================================

And you best believe one of that four will be vs. the Bengals. One and done in the playoffs isn’t getting it, so save the empathy – schooled the Niners in BOTH Super Bowls gives you little reason for pity for any team.

tdk24 says:Aug 22, 2012 10:33 AM

“omniusprime says:
Aug 22, 2012 9:04 AM
The Raiders have only committed 9 penalties so far in two preseason games, less than half of normal. Now that’s something Raider fans can take heart in. Time for the Raiders to develop winning ways and attitude in preseason, not wait until the regular season.”

I’m chalking that up to the fair and unbiased temp refs. If the regular refs come back, i’m thinking it will go back to what we’re used to seeing…17 penalties a game. sigh.

While I’d normally be the last person to cut the Haiders (nor the flop who is Carson Palmer) any slack, these pre-season games don’t mean anything. These games are a chance for the starters to run some plays at full speed, but mostly it’s a chance for the talent evaluators to analyze the new guys.

But any Haider fan who thinks that team is going to go anywhere this season, is just as delusional as ever. The damage from Weird Al’s final years, not the least of which was Hue, will take many years to repair. You can’t just bring a dude in from Green Bay and expect immediate results, regardless of how nice his Afro looks.

It’s a QB driven league. If you look at the teams which have made it to the Superbowl in the last decade, the one thing they all have in common are top tier, veteran quarterbacks. The Raiders have none of that, and will continue down the path of sub-mediocrity, in arguably the weakest division in all of the NFL.

mikebrownschangepurse says:Aug 22, 2012 11:02 AM

From Cincinnati to Oakland:: When Carson is under Center and a D-Lineman jumps across the Line, does Carson immediately “take a knee” to take the Penalty instead of treating it like a “free play” and see what happens?? He constantly did it here and it drove me nuts… havint seen AD do it since hes been here so i guess theyre not coaching that

All CP3 has done is move is lame excuses 3000 miles west. If I had a dollar for everytime I heard Carson say we just have a few things to “Clean Up” while he was in Cincinnati I could have paid for my Bengal tickets for a full season. He’s a quitter and as soon as things go wrong he’ll be on the bench between series with his head hung paying no attention to his teammates and coaches. Once a quitter, always a quitter.

bloggingpoodlewalker says:Aug 22, 2012 11:06 AM

Only part of preseason that concerns me is we as season ticket holders are required to buy tickets to these meaningless games where no team ever tries to win or actually run plays they will use in games,…preseason is a joke, the Lions in their awesome year of going 0-16 went 4-0 in the preseason,..you get it now?

bloggingpoodlewalker: Not much more anyone can say about the absurdity that is the preseason, than what you just did. I, for one, am ready and waiting for the league to finally go 2+18, instead of 4+16. Just look at how many starters get hurt in these gutless games every, single, damn year. At least make a couple of the games count.

We would have been alright if we would have kept Al Saunders as OC and our Power running game. We have two years of draft picks invested in the Air Coryell system and were successful. To change the system around with a mediocre at best O Coordinator who has been fired within three years at practically everywhere he’s been was crazy.

Dennis Allen simply doesnt know how to hire a staff.Hire a coordinator with fresh new ideas not one who has failed at multiple stops.

From Cincinnati to Oakland:: When Carson is under Center and a D-Lineman jumps across the Line, does Carson immediately “take a knee” to take the Penalty instead of treating it like a “free play” and see what happens?? He constantly did it here and it drove me nuts… havint seen AD do it since hes been here so i guess theyre not coaching that

——————–
I’m not a Palmer apologist, but I’m thinking that had more to do with Bratkowski than Palmer.

561bengal says:
Aug 22, 2012 9:54 AM
I feel bad for Raider fans. They deserve better than Palmer. Ill be shocked if they win more than 4 games this year.

================================

And you best believe one of that four will be vs. the Bengals. One and done in the playoffs isn’t getting it, so save the empathy – schooled the Niners in BOTH Super Bowls gives you little reason for pity for any team.

True that the Bungles are quite possibly the worst franchise in all American sports. Save your pity. We’ll see where u guys are at in five yrs. I’m gonna guess right back at square one rebuilding.

And you best believe one of that four will be vs. the Bengals. One and done in the playoffs isn’t getting it, so save the empathy – schooled the Niners in BOTH Super Bowls gives you little reason for pity for any team.
___________________________

I’d be willing to put a very nice wager on that one. No change the Faiders beat the Bengals this year. The D will be all over Palmer. He won’t have a chance to get the ball out of his hands. And our front 7 will absolutely hold your running game at bay. No chance Faiders beat Bengals. Book it.

As much as I hate the raiders, I have to admit that the whole west has a bit of issues rather its injuries or poor playing. As fans we can only hope that its just pre-season jitters and that our respective teams would play better when it counts.

The Raiders have only committed 9 penalties so far in two preseason games, less than half of normal.

That’s because the regular officials all have it in ingrained in their heads that the Raiders are some dirty team and are heavily biased against them. Let’s hope they never come back and the replacement officials start with a clean slate.

nomoreseasontix says:Aug 22, 2012 12:02 PM

One thing is for sure… If McFadden misses another chunk of games this year, it’ll be time to move on.
He’s out of chances to make an impact over a whole season.

Bengal fans talking trash really? C’mon man all the busted years you had with Akilia Smith, Big Daddy Wilkison, Kajan-Carter and host of brillant draft picks…try some humble pie. I’ll be looking to hear back after we meet…

That first pick in double coverage was a good throw…First off Jacoby Ford did nothing to try to catch the ball..I think from all the injuries he is playing very soft, look at all his drops and mistakes on special teams..Moore catches that pass 100% of the time…I think Carson was trying to see if he would be able to count on Ford to make that play or atleast break it up… Its preseason only time a QB can see what arsenal he has…Good Luck Palmer

k4aic says:Aug 22, 2012 12:27 PM

Thanks Oakland for taking this bum off our hands!! See you in regular season CP, maybe this time you will actually throw the ball to black and orange players.

–Signed Cincinnati Fans

villa41 says:Aug 22, 2012 12:45 PM

The fact so many of you Bungal fans show up for this post shows just how jilted you feel by Palmer. The man gave your sorry frnachise a lot good years and actually QB’s two teams to the play offs. Yes, he had a big hand in getting the Bungals to the play offs. The man should be considered for sainthood just for that.

Palmer got a lot left and he’s motivated. The smart money says Plamer has a better year than Dalton and the Raiders have a better season than the Bungals. Looking forward to November, fellas. Can’t wait to see Palmer school your D, especially your first round CB.

In actuality, Palmer has looked good. He has made a lot of quality throws that were caught and several were dropped. His picks weren’t bad throws and one went right through Ford’s hands.
Rumors from last year of his lack of arm strength are total B.S.

Frankly, I’ve been more upset by his receivers than him, and he doesn’t even have Denarius Moore on the field yet.

Just want to clear a few things up. Which two-teams did Palmer get to the playoffs? Hasn’t he only played for two-teams?

Also, what facts are you basing the loose assumption on, that the Raiders will have a better season than the Bengals? The Bengals made it to the playoffs last season, playing in one of the toughest divisions in the AFC. The Raiders missed the playoffs, in the weakest division in the AFC, even when ALL THEY HAD TO DO was win one last HOME game against, ahem, the Chargers. Really?

raiderapologist:
For the first time ever, I was about to agree with you. So close. The Bengals really set the bar pretty low. But…they do have GREAT chili in Cinci, and that pretty much makes up for their JV NFL team. So, that still pretty much leaves the Raiders at the bottom. No chili, AND in Oakland. Yikes.

Side note: I would have included any of the three dismal Florida NFL franchises at the bottom, too, but Florida is just to fun and funky to dislike.

Also, just because a QB was mediocre with one team doesn’t mean he can’t flourish with another. Anyone remember Jim Plunkett’s performance record before joining the Raiders? There’s a reason for not remembering, he sucked. But then he came into a new system and won a title. Palmer has the chops, he just needs to settle in, make good decisions and keep his weapons healthy. This team won’t be as bad as people think.